


Second Chances

by Kattythingz



Series: Rivalshipping Week 2020 [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Awkwardness, Fluff, Kaiba be giving gifts before even going on the first date, M/M, Post-Canon, Rivalshipping Week 2020, Yugi realizes he has a crush on Kaiba, he also realizes it might be mutual, post-dsod, rivalshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:22:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28305981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kattythingz/pseuds/Kattythingz
Summary: Day 1:Kissand/orPresentHe braces himself for the impact of Kaiba’s incoming words-“I’m sorry.”-and splutters as they fall flat.“What?” Yugi’s eyes widen.OR: A week after the events of DsoD, Yugi gets a surprise visit from Kaiba, and he's got a few words to say. Ft. Kaiba trying his best to be nice and Yugi appreciating his efforts.
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Mutou Yuugi, past Yami Yuugi/Mutou Yuugi
Series: Rivalshipping Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075703
Comments: 10
Kudos: 54
Collections: Rivalshipping Week 2020





	Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> It’s Rivalshipping Week :D! I might not be able to do all the prompts, and I might not do them on-time, but the urge to write about these boys was just too strong. This idea, along with a few others, has been bouncing around my head rent-free for far too long. Enjoy!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH.

In all his eighteen years of life, Yugi’s seen a lot of things. Whether it’s the hardships of high school, falling in love with a spirit that lived in a golden puzzle, or saving the world from yet another dark threat, you name it. At this point, he’s beyond questioning the ridiculousness of whatever situation he’s found himself in. 

Except for Seto Kaiba showing up at the Kame Game shop, apparently. 

Yugi resists the urge to rub his eyes, opting to just blink in bafflement. Then, realizing he’s just been staring at Kaiba for the last minute, he utters, “Kaiba, w-what are you doing here?”

For a moment, Kaiba doesn’t answer. His eyes seem to pierce into Yugi’s soul with an intensity he’s only ever seen whenever they dueled. Recognizing the expression as Kaiba’s thinking face, Yugi meets sharp blue eyes and waits for Kaiba to find his words. 

Clicking his teeth, Kaiba says, “Mokuba kept nagging me to stop by. He wouldn’t stop until I caved. Why he didn’t just stop by himself is beyond me.” He heaves a sigh at that, but it contradicts the lack of bite in his voice. Try as he might, Yugi knows Kaiba could never truly be annoyed at his brother.

A smile rises to Yugi’s lips despite his nervousness. “I see. Did he want something from the shop?”

Yugi expects Kaiba to make a biting remark about “not needing to buy from an old dump like this”, but he just frowns and scrunches his nose. It’s an odd thing to see on Kaiba’s face, but Yugi finds it rather cute. 

_Wait, what?_

“Mokuba would have come himself if he wanted to do that,” Kaiba says, his voice giving nothing away. 

“O…kay,” Yugi furrows his brow. “Then what is it?” Then he adds quickly, “Not that your company isn’t nice! It’s just… rare of you to show up like this.”

Kaiba huffs, lips down-turned. He parts his lips to say something, then closes them. It’s almost like he’s _nervous_ , which is ridiculous considering this is _Kaiba_. 

Kaiba is blunt. He says whatever he wants whenever he pleases because he’s just that sure of himself. Even if his words hurt people, he still speaks his mind. People like Jounouchi might hate this sort of attitude, but Yugi’s always believed that this was simply Kaiba’s unorthodox way of showing kindness. After all, it’s better to live with the truth rather than a white lie.

Yugi clenches a hand over his heart as a knot makes itself known there.

“Yugi,” Kaiba’s stiff voice cuts through Yugi’s thoughts.

Yugi startles, looking back up at Kaiba. “Sorry, I zoned out,” he rubs the back of his neck. “Did you say something?”

Kaiba frowns at him, but it doesn’t look like his usual annoyed scowl. For a moment, he just stares at Yugi, making unflinching eye-contact. Yugi has half a mind to look away, because Kaiba is a smart man, and his eyes can see right through the fog of _anything_. Even Yugi’s wavering heart. 

He braces himself for the impact of Kaiba’s incoming words-

“I’m sorry.”

-and splutters as they fall flat.

“What?” Yugi’s eyes widen.

Instead of pulling the words out like teeth, he repeats steadily, “I said I’m sorry.”

His heading spinning, Yugi asks, “For what?”

Kaiba gives him a searching look before answering with a sigh. “Last week, with Diva. I recognize that I said some… _untrue_ things,” he looks away. “You handled yourself well in a duel without _him_. I was wrong to call you just a vessel. I’m sorry.”

Yugi gapes, probably looking really stupid in the process, but he can’t help it. Right now, Seto Kaiba is _apologizing_ to him. _Without_ being mean about it. And he’s _elaborating_ too!

“Close your mouth, Yugi,” Kaiba snaps, a curious hint of color in his cheeks. “You’ll catch flies.”

 _There’s the Kaiba I know,_ Yugi thinks. Then, aloud, he says, “Sorry. I’m just… surprised. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Kaiba looks ready to say something else, but Yugi interrupts him. “Thank you, though,” he smiles, the knot in his heart unfurling a little. “It means a lot to me.”

“Yeah, well, Mokuba insisted,” Kaiba mutters with a small frown. 

Somehow, that revelation doesn’t bother Yugi as much as it should. Kaiba might love his brother, but that doesn’t mean he always listens to his requests. For him to actually work up the nerves to apologize to Yugi…

Warmth floods his cheeks.

“Even so,” Yugi shakes his head. “Thank you.”

Kaiba doesn’t answer. For a moment, he just shuffles in place, glancing between the glass counter and the door. 

_He probably feels really awkward right now,_ Yugi muses. A strange fondness fills his chest at the thought, but he keeps any and all amusement out of his voice when he asks, “Is there anything else?”

Kaiba turns his gaze to Yugi, an odd glint in his eyes as he seems to contemplate something. His hand travels down to the pocket of his trench-coat, and through the indents of the cloth, Yugi can see that it’s clenched around an object. 

Noticing Yugi’s curious gaze, Kaiba exhales and pulls out his hand. He stares intently at his fist before looking back at Yugi. Then, after a long second, he throws the object at Yugi.

Yugi yelps, catching it between two hands. Looking down reveals the object to be a black box, and he recognizes it as a jewelry box. It’s roughly the size of his palm, which has him questioning how Kaiba managed to fit it in his pocket. He glances at Kaiba, but he’s pointedly looking _away_ from Yugi.

Feeling an amused smile tug at his lips and a nagging curiosity in his head, Yugi opens the box.

And promptly gasps.

 _It’s a choker_ , Yugi realizes. It looks like it’s made _mostly_ of leather until it reaches the center where the strip’s ends are connected by a small silver chain. And dangling from the chain is a _very_ familiar shape that resembles his Millennium Puzzle. 

Lifting the choker with shaky fingers, Yugi cradles the golden pendant between two fingers, touching it with a gentleness he once reserved for something else. His eyes widen when he sees the Eye of Anubis carved into the center.

“What is this?” He whispers.

“You lost something important to you,” Kaiba answers with an alien softness. “It’s not the same, but I know better than anyone that some things need to have closure.”

Warmth blooms in Yugi’s chest, spreading all the way to his cheeks and filling every empty crevice that once sagged with nostalgic pain. It leaves his heart aflutter, even as he glances up at Kaiba’s avoiding eyes. He can see it now, the uncertain glimmer in his blue eyes. _They’re not as cold anymore_ , he notes with a smile.

“Thank you,” Yugi says, true and quiet joy in his voice. He might still feel that pain of losing his only connection to Atem, but now it’s not as sharp. And, ironically, it’s all thanks to Kaiba.

His breath hitches, the dots slowly connecting in his head. Not only did Kaiba gift him with something to fill the hole of the puzzle, but his tournament was also the reason Yugi got to talk to Atem one last time. He’s the reason Yugi got to say goodbye and truly find closure with his first love. 

His heart skips a beat.

_Could it be…?_

The ringing of a phone cuts through the silence, startling Yugi. Kaiba doesn’t seem surprised, as he merely looks at the screen of his phone and sighs. 

“Work,” He says in explanation. 

“Oh,” Yugi utters, his smile slipping. “Already?”

“I run an entire company, Yugi,” Kaiba says, though not unkindly (for Kaiba, that is).

“I know that,” Yugi frowns. “I just… don’t you ever take breaks?”

“I have a lot to work on, I can’t risk getting behind schedule,” as he says this, Kaiba makes his way to the entrance. 

Against his better judgement, Yugi yells, “Wait!”

Kaiba tilts his head. “Make it quick.”

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Yugi steps out from behind the counter. The tingling in his nerves almost has him stopping, but he braves through it and walks toward Kaiba. Placing a tentative hand on Kaiba’s arm prompts him to turn and face Yugi again, his face twisted in apprehension. 

“Yugi-”

Before he can even finish, Yugi interrupts Kaiba by rising to his toes and kissing his cheek.

He pulls away before Kaiba can react. His cheeks burning, Yugi mumbles, “Thank you. For the… choker.”

Kaiba lets out a curious noise, something low and strangled. 

Yugi blinks, not expecting that. He expected some sort of displeased reaction, not… _that_. Lifting his head slightly, Yugi’s surprised to see that not only is Kaiba not yelling at him, but he also looks positively _flustered_ , red cheeks and all.

 _Oh, I see,_ Yugi blinks. _So that means…_

Smiling hesitantly, Yugi says, “Come by soon.”

“W-Whatever,” Kaiba says in an attempt to sound like usual snappy self. He doesn’t say anything else, opting to just turn his back to Yugi and walk right out the door.

Even after Kaiba’s car drives away, Yugi remains standing there. A baffled smile strains his lips, his cheeks keeping their delighted flush as he replays the image of Kaiba’s reaction in his head.

Turning back to the counter, his eyes fall on the choker, sitting innocently on the counter like it hasn’t just caused Yugi to take a leap of faith.

 _Kaiba didn’t say no,_ he realizes with a delighted giggle. 

For the rest of the day, the smile never leaves his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr (kattythingz) for more of my work owo


End file.
